However (Armand went on after a pause), though I realized full well that I was still in love, I felt stronger than I had before and, in my desire to be with Marguerite again, there was also a determination to make her see that I now had the upper hand.

可是（阿尔芒停顿了一下又接着说），虽然我非常明白自己仍然爱着她，而且我感觉想和玛格丽特在一起的情感比以前更强烈了，但是我也决心要让玛格丽特知道现在是我占上风。

Many are the paths the heart will tread, and many the excuses its finds, that it may reach what it desires!

为了要实现心中的愿望该想出多少办法，编出多少理由啊！

I could not therefore remain in the corridors any longer, and went back to my seat in the pit, quickly glancing around the auditorium as I did so to see in which box she was sitting.

因此，我不能继续在走廊里呆着了，我回到正厅座位上，快速地朝大厅里扫了一眼，想看看她坐在哪个包厢里。

She was in the stage-box in the stalls, and quite alone. She looked much altered, as I have told you, and I could not detect on her lips her old unconcerned smile. She had been ill; she still was.

她在正厅前排包厢里，独自一人。她看起来变了很多，就像我刚才跟您说过的一样，我没有办法再看到她嘴上那种满不在乎的微笑了。她生过一场病，到现在病也没有完全好。

Although it was already April, she was still dressed for winter and wore velvet.

虽然当时已经是四月了，但是她仍然穿得像在冬天一样，披着天鹅绒。

I looked at her so insistently that my eye caught hers.

我非常专注地看着她，终于把她的目光也吸引过来了。

She considered me for a moment or two, reached for her opera glasses to get a better look, and clearly thought she recognized me, though without being able to say positively who I was. For when she lowered her opera glasses, a smile—that captivating greeting of women—strayed across her lips in reply to the acknowledgement she seemed to expect from me. But I made no response, as a way of asserting an advantage over her and of appearing to have forgotten while she remembered.

她打量了我一会儿，然后又拿起看戏的望远镜仔细瞧了瞧我，很明显她觉得认识我，但是又没法准确地说出我是谁。因为当她放下望远镜的时候，一个微笑——那种女人妩媚的致意性质的微笑——浮现在她的唇边，用来回应她所期待的我的问候。但是我没有做出任何反应，似乎这是一种显示我比她更加高贵的方式，一种表现出她虽然记得我，但是我已经把她忘掉了的方式。

Believing that she was mistaken, she turned her head away.

玛格丽特认为自己认错了人，就把头转了回去。

The curtain went up.

舞台上的幕拉开了，戏开始了。

I have see Marguerite many times in the theatre. I never once saw her pay the slightest attention to what was happening on stage.

我在戏院里看到玛格丽特很多次。但是我从来没有见她认真地看过戏。

For me too, the play was of very little interest, and I had eyes only for her while doing my utmost to ensure that she did not notice.

对我来说，那出戏也是没有一点儿意思的，我的眼睛只顾着观察玛格丽特，但又尽量不让她觉察到。

It was thus that I observed her exchanging looks with the person who occupied the box opposite hers; I raised my eyes to this other box, and in it recognized a woman with whom I was reasonably familiar.

于是我就这样看到了她在和她对面包厢里的人交换眼色，我抬头向那个包厢望去，我认出了坐在里面的是一个跟我相当熟悉的女人。

She had once been a kept woman, had tried the stage, had not succeeded and, counting on her contacts among the fashionable women of Paris, had gone into business and opened a milliner's shop.

这个女人原来也是个妓女，曾经试过演戏但没有成功，后来靠着她和巴黎那些时髦女子的关系，做起了生意，开了一家妇女时装铺子。

In her, I saw a way of contriving a meeting with Marguerite, and I took advantage of a moment when she was looking in my direction to wish her a pleasant evening with hands and eyes.

从她身上，我找到了一个设计与玛格丽特见面的办法，趁她往我这边瞧的时候，我用手势和眼色向她问了好。

What I had foreseen happened: she summoned me to her box.

我所预料的果然实现了：她招呼我到她包厢里去。

Prudence Duvernoy—such was the apt name of the milliner—was one of those ample women of forty with whom no great diplomatic subtleties are required to get them to say what you wish to know, especially when what you wish to know is as simple as what I had to ask.

那位妇女时装铺老板娘的芳名叫普鲁登斯·迪韦努瓦，是一个四十来岁的胖女人，要从她们这样的人那里打听些什么事是用不着耍什么外交手段的，何况我要向她打听的事又是那么平常。

Seizing a moment when she was inaugurating a new round of signals with Marguerite, I asked her: Who's that you're watching?'

我抓住她又在和玛格丽特打招呼的机会，问她：“您在看的那位女士是谁啊？”

'Marguerite Gautier.'

“玛格丽特·戈蒂埃。”

'Do you know her?'

“您认识她吗？”

'Yes, I'm her milliner, and she's a neighbour of mine.'

“认识，她是我铺子里的主顾，而且还是我的邻居。”

'So you live in the rue d'Antin.'

“这么说来您住在安坦街？”

'In number 7. The window of her dressing-room looks on to the window of mine.'

“我住在七号。她梳妆间的窗户和我梳妆间的窗正好对着。”

'They say she's a charming girl.'

“他们都说她是个迷人的姑娘。”

'Don't you know her?'

“您难道不认识她？”

'No, but I'd very much like to.'

“不认识，但是我很愿意认识她。”

'Do you want me to tell her to come across to our box?'

“您想让我把她叫到我们的包厢来吗？”

'No, I'd prefer you to introduce me to her.'

“不用了，我比较希望您把我介绍给她。”

'At her place?'

“到她家里去吗？”

'Yes.'

“是的。”

'That's more difficult.'

“这就困难了点儿。”

'Why?'

“为什么？”

'Because she's under the protection of an old Duke who is very jealous.'

“因为她被一个非常容易嫉妒的老公爵保护着。”

'"Protection", how charming.'

“‘保护’，多么奇妙啊！”

'Yes, protection,' Prudence went on. Poor old thing. He'd be hard put to it to be her lover.'

“是的，她是受到保护的，”普鲁登斯接着说，“可怜的老东西。做她的情夫真够麻烦的呢。”

Prudence then related how Marguerite had become acquainted with the Duke at Bagn res.

然后普鲁登斯对我讲述了玛格丽特是怎么样在巴涅尔认识公爵的。

'And that is why,' I continued, 'she's here on her own?'

“就是因为这个缘故，”我继续说，“她才一个人上这儿来的吗？”

'That's right.'

“正是这样。”

'But who'll drive her home?'

“但是谁来把她送回家呢？”

'He will.'

“就是老公爵咯。”

'So he'll come and fetch her?'

“那么公爵一会儿会过来接她？”

'Any minute now.'

“他随时都可能会来。”

'And who's taking you home?'

“那么谁又送您回家呢？”

'Nobody.'

“没有人。”

'Allow me.'

“请允许我送您回家吧。”

'But you're with a friend, I believe.'

“但是我想您是和另一个朋友一起来的。”

'Allow us, then.'

“那么就让我们一起陪您回去好了。”

'What's this friend of yours?'

“您那位朋友是谁呢？”

He's a charming fellow, very witty. He'll be delighted to meet you.'

“他是个迷人的小伙子，而且非常聪明。他认识您一定会很开心。”

'Very well, then, it's agreed, all four of us will leave after this play is finished, for I've seen the last one before.'

“太好了，就这样吧，等这幕戏完了以后我们三人一起走，最后一幕我已经看过了。”

'Splendid. I'll go and tell my friend.'

“好极了。我这就去告诉我的朋友。”

'Off you go.'

“您去吧。”

I was on the point of leaving when Prudence said: 'Ah! there's the Duke just coming into Marguerite's box.'

我正要走出去的时候，普鲁登斯对我说：“啊！就是那个公爵，他刚刚走进玛格丽特的包厢去了。”

I looked.

我朝那边望去。

And indeed, a man of seventy had just sat down behind the young woman and was giving her a bag of sweets which, with a smile, she began to eat at once, and then she pushed them across the front ledge of her box with a sign to Prudence which could be translated as:

果然，一个七十来岁的老头儿刚刚在这个年轻女人的身后坐下来，还递给她一袋蜜饯，她回敬了一个微笑，马上接过来就吃了起来，然后又把那袋蜜饯递到包厢前面，向普鲁登斯扬了扬，意思是说：

'Do you want some?'

“您要来一点儿吗？”

'No,' was Prudence's reply.

“不用了。”普鲁登斯说。

Marguerite retrieved the bag and, turning round, began chatting to the Duke.

玛格丽特拿回那袋蜜饯，转过身去，开始和公爵聊天。

So exact an account of all these detailed happenings must seem very childish, but anything connected with that girl is so present in my recollection that I cannot help but remember it all now.

把所有发生的细节都清楚地讲出来看起来一定很孩子气，但是任何和这个姑娘有关的事情我都记得清清楚楚，因此，现在我还是禁不住一一地想起来了。

I went down to let Gaston know what I had just arranged for him and me.

我下楼告诉加斯顿我刚才为我们两人所做的安排。

He was game.

他欣然同意了。

We left our seats in the stalls and made for Madame Duvernoy's box.

我们离开大厅里的座位，向迪韦努瓦夫人的包厢走去。

We had barely opened the door leading out of the orchestra stalls when we were forced to stop and make way for Marguerite and the Duke who were leaving.

刚一打开正厅出口的门，我们就不得不站住，为正要离开的玛格丽特和公爵让路。

I would have given ten years of my life to have been in that old man's shoes.

我真情愿少活十年来换得这个老头儿的位置。

When he reached the boulevard, he handed her up into a phaeton, which he drove himself, and they disappeared, borne away at a trot by two superb horses.

到了街上，公爵扶玛格丽特坐上一辆四轮敞篷马车，由公爵自己驾车，两匹骏马拉着他们快步远去，渐渐消失了。

We entered Prudence's box.

我们走进了普鲁登斯的包厢。

When the play was over, we went down and got an ordinary cab which took us to 7 rue d'Antin. When we reached her door, Prudence invited us up to view her business premises, which we had never seen before, and of which she seemed very proud. You can imagine how eagerly I accepted.

这一出戏结束后，我们下楼走出剧院，找了一辆普通的出租马车把我们送到了安坦街七号。我们走到普鲁登斯家门口的时候，她邀请我们上楼到她家里去参观那些我们从来没有见过，而她引以为豪的商品。您一定可以想象我是多么急切地就接受了她的邀请。

I felt that I was imperceptibly drawing closer to Marguerite. It was not long before I had turned the conversation round to her.

我感觉到自己正在一步步地向玛格丽特靠近。过了不久，我就把谈话的内容转到了玛格丽特身上。

'Is the old Duke with your neighbour?' I asked Prudence.

“那个老公爵和您的邻居在一起吗？”我问普鲁登斯。

'No, no; she's most likely on her own.'

“不，不是的，她很可能一个人在家。”

'But she'll be terribly bored,' said Gaston.

“但这样她一定会觉得非常无聊。”加斯顿说。

'We usually spend our evenings together or, when she gets home, she calls down to me. She never goes to bed before two in the morning. She can't get to sleep before then.'

“我们经常在一起消磨晚上的时间，不然就是她回家了之后再叫我过去。她从没有在半夜两点之前睡觉过。她在这之前是睡不着的。”

'Why not?'

“她为什么睡不着？”

'Because she's got consumption, and she's almost always feverish.'

“因为她有肺结核，而且她几乎一直在发烧。”

'Doesn't she have any lovers?' I asked.

“难道她没有情人吗？”我问普鲁登斯。

'I never see anybody staying behind when I leave, but I don't say there's nobody comes after I've gone. When I'm there of an evening, I often come across a certain Count de N who thinks he can get somewhere with her by paying calls at eleven o'clock and sending her all the jewels she could possibly want; but she can't stand the sight of him. She's wrong, he's a very rich young man. I tell her from time to time, not that it does a bit of good: "My dear child, he's just the man for you!" She listens to me well enough ordinarily, but then she turns her back on me and answers that he is too stupid. He may be stupid, I grant you, but he'd set her up on a good footing, whereas that old Duke could die from one day to the next. Old men are selfish; his family are always on at him about his affection for Marguerite: that makes two reasons why he'll not leave her a penny. I'm forever going on at her about it, but she says that there'll still be time enough to say yes to the Count when the Duke's dead.

“每次我离开她家的时候，从未看见有人留在她那儿，但是我不能担保就没有人等我走了以后再去找她。晚上，我在她家里经常遇到一位N伯爵，这位伯爵自以为只要经常在晚上十一点去拜访她，她要多少首饰就给她多少首饰，这样就能渐渐地得到她的好感；但是她看见他就讨厌。她错了，他是一个非常有钱的少爷。我经常对她说：‘我亲爱的孩子，他正是您需要的男人啊！’，但是这一点儿用也没有。她平时很听我的话，但一听到我讲这句话时就转过脸去，回答我说这个人太蠢了。他也许的确很蠢，我向您承认，但是他对玛格丽特来说是个好归宿啊，那个老公爵说不定哪一天就去世了。老头子都是很自私的，他家里人一直反对他对玛格丽特的喜爱，这样看来，他不会留给玛格丽特一分钱的。我一直因为这个而埋怨她，她却说，等公爵死了，再跟伯爵好也来得及。”

'It's not always much fun,' Prudence continued, 'living the way she does. I can tell you it wouldn't do for me. I'd send the old relic packing. He's a dull old thing: he calls her his daughter, looks after her like a little child, and is forever hovering round her. I'm pretty sure that even at this time of night one of his servants is hanging about in the street to see who comes out and especially who goes in.'

“玛格丽特那种生活并不总是充满乐趣，”普鲁登斯接着说下去。“我可以告诉您我就受不了。我一定会让那老古董收拾东西然后走人。他是个又老又无趣的人：他把玛格丽特称女儿，像照顾小孩子一样照顾她，还一直在监视着她。我可以肯定眼下就有他的一个仆人在街上走来走去，看看有谁从她屋里出来，尤其是看看有谁走了进去。”

'Oh, poor Marguerite!' said Gaston, sitting down at the piano and playing a waltz, 'I had no idea. Still, I have noticed that she hasn't seemed as jolly for some time now.'

“哦，可怜的玛格丽特！”加斯顿说，一面在钢琴边坐下，弹奏起一首华尔兹舞曲，“这件事我不知道。不过我发现这一段时间她不如以前那么快乐了。”

'Hush!' said Prudence, pricking up her ears.

“嘘，别作声！”普鲁登斯说，一面竖起耳朵听着。

Gaston stopped.

加斯顿停下不弹了。

'She's calling me, I think.'

“我想她在叫我。”

We listened.

我们一起听着。

And indeed, a voice was calling Prudence.

果然，有一个声音在叫着普鲁登斯。

'Come along, gentlemen, off with you,' Madame Duvernoy told us.

“那么，先生们，你们请走吧。”迪韦努瓦夫人对我们说。

'So that's what you mean by hospitality,' Gaston said laughingly, 'We'll be off when it suits us.'

“这就是您所谓的好客之道啊，”加斯顿笑着说，“我们要到想走的时候才走呢。”

'Why should we go?'

“为什么我们要走？”

'I'm going to Marguerite's.'

“因为我要到玛格丽特家里去。”

'We'll wait here.'

“那我们就在这儿等着。”

'I won't have it.'

“我不允许。”

'In that case, we'll come with you.'

“这样的话，我们就跟您一起去。”

'That's even more out of the question.'

“这更不可能。”

'I know Marguerite,' said Gaston, 'it's perfectly all right for me to drop in to pay my respects.'

“我认识玛格丽特，”加斯顿说，“我去拜访她，表达我的尊意，这再正常不过了。”

'But Armand doesn't know her.'

“但是阿尔芒并不认识她啊。”

'I shall introduce him.'

“我会介绍他给玛格丽特认识的。”

'Impossible.'

“不可能，这不行。”

Once more we heard Marguerite's voice still calling Prudence.

我们又听到玛格丽特的声音，她一直在叫普鲁登斯。

Prudence ran into her dressing-room. I followed with Gaston. She opened the window.

普鲁登斯跑进她的梳妆间。我跟着加斯顿也进去了。普鲁登斯打开了窗子。

We hid ourselves so that we could not be seen from outside.

我们两人躲了起来，这样从外面就看不见我们。

I've been calling you for ten minutes,' said Marguerite from her window in a tone that verged on the peremptory.

“我叫了您有十分钟了。”玛格丽特在窗口说，语气近乎强硬。

'What do you want with me?'

“您叫我干吗？”

'I want you to come at once.'

“我想您马上过来。”

'Why?'

“为什么？”

'Because Count de N is still here, and he's boring me to death.'

“因为N伯爵还在这儿，他快要把我烦死了。”

'I can't just now.'

“现在不行啊。”

'What's stopping you?'

“有谁拦着您吗？”

'I've got two young men here who won't go away.'

“我家里有两个年轻人，他们不肯走。”

'Tell them you've got to go out.'

“告诉他们您非出去不可。”

'I have told them.'

“我已经跟他们讲过了。”

'Well, they can stay there; when they see you've gone, they'll leave.'

“那么，就让他们留在您家里好啦；他们看见您出去了，就会走的。”

'After turning the place upside down?'

“在把我家翻个底朝天之后？”

'But what do they want?'

“那他们想干什么呢？”

'They want to see you.'

“他们想来见您。”

'What are their names?'

“他们叫什么名字？”

'You know one of them, Monsieur Gaston R.'

“您认识其中的一位，R·加斯顿先生。”

'Ah, yes, I know him; and the other?'

“啊！是的，我认识他；另一位呢？”

'Monsieur Armand Duval. Don't you know him?'

“阿尔芒·迪瓦尔先生。您不认识他吗？”

'No; but bring them all the same. Anything would be better than the Count. I shall be waiting for you, so hurry.'

“不认识；不过还是把他们带来吧。怎么都比这个伯爵好些。我等着您，快来吧。”

Marguerite shut her window, and Prudence shut hers.

玛格丽特关上窗户，普鲁登斯也把她的窗户关上了。

Marguerite, who had for an instant recalled my face, did not remember my name. I would have been better pleased to be remembered in an unflattering light than forgotten altogether like this.

玛格丽特刚才曾一度记起了我的面貌，但这会儿却记不起我的名字。我倒宁愿她还记得我，哪怕对我印象不好也没有关系，也不愿意她就这样彻底把我忘了。

'I knew it,' said Gaston, 'I knew she'd be delighted to see us.'

“我就知道，”加斯顿说，“我就知道她会高兴见到我们的。”

'Delighted isn't the word,' answered Prudence, putting on her hat and shawl, 'she'll see you to make the Count go away. Try to be more agreeable than him, or otherwise—I know Marguerite—she'll take it out on me.'

“高兴？恐怕未必，”普鲁登斯一面披上披肩，戴上帽子，一面回答说，“她接待你们两位是为了赶走伯爵。你们要尽量比伯爵知趣一些，否则的话，我是知道玛格丽特这个人的，她就会跟我算账的。”

We followed Prudence down the stairs.

我们跟着普鲁登斯一起下了楼。

I was shaking; I had a feeling that this visit would have a great influence on my life.

我浑身哆嗦，仿佛预感到这次拜访会对我的一生产生巨大的影响。

I was even more apprehensive than the evening I had been introduced in the box at the Op ra-Comique.

与那次在喜剧歌剧院包厢里被介绍给她的时候相比，现在的我甚至更加惴惴不安。

When we arrived at the door of the apartment with which you are acquainted, my heart was beating so loud that I could not think.

当走到您已认得的那座房子门前时，我的心怦怦直跳，我几乎都不能思考了。

A few chords from a piano reached our ears.

几声钢琴的和弦传到我们耳朵里。

Prudence rang the bell.

普鲁登斯拉响了门铃。

The piano stopped.

琴声顿时停了下来。

A woman, who looked rather more like a lady's companion than a maid, opened the door to us.

一个女人，看上去与其说像一个女佣，倒不如说更像一个雇来的女伴，来为我们开了门。

We passed through the drawing-room, and from the drawing-room into the parlour, which was at that time exactly as you have seen it since.

我们穿过大客厅，来到小客厅，从那时起到您看到它的时候布局一直是那个样子。

A young man was leaning against the mantelpieced.

一个年轻人靠着壁炉站在那里。

Marguerite, seated at the piano, was letting her fingers run over the keys, starting more pieces than she finished.

玛格丽特坐在钢琴前面，任凭手指在琴键上扫过，弹着总是弹不完的曲子。

Everything about the scene exuded boredom which stemmed, on the man's side, from an embarrassing awareness of his own dullness and, on the woman's, from the visit of this lugubrious personage.

房间里的一切都透出一股沉闷，男的是因为意识到自己无聊乏味而尴尬，女的则是因为这个可怜家伙的来访而心情烦躁。

Hearing Prudence's voice, Marguerite rose to her feet and, coming up to us after first exchanging a look of gratitude with Madame Duvernoy, she said to us: 'Do come in, gentlemen, you are most welcome.'

听到普鲁登斯的声音，玛格丽特站起身来，首先向她投去一个表示感谢的眼色，随后走向我们，对我们说：“请进，先生们，你们是最受欢迎的。” E7LAg6Yo2CDUfGUZojt8kfpSW0XpmlHEriZo3d0IMJiY3tTaHqOXFBEgdC4ABfLc